Lancashire Churches

Lancashire

Churches

A puzzling church, extensively rebuilt, and difficult to date

The church of St Michael and All Angels at Croston is known to have existed in 1075. The rectors board names incumbents as far back as 1160. However, the oldest part of the building we see today is the south side of the sanctuary dating from about 1230. The church is, in Pevsner's words, "a very strange building ... nothing seems quite right." He notes Baines reporting rebuilding and beautifying at Croston in 1577, 1682, 1708, 1710, 1715, 1768 and 1823. The usual approach to the church is down an attractive, narrow, cobbled street with brick built terraces on each side. Entry is through the north door at the west end of the north aisle. This doorway has a characteristic C16 four-centered arch. Above is a square hoodmould, with a shield in the centre and leaves in the spandrels. Directly above this is a four-light window with uncusped arched lights. It has an odd "wrap-around" hoodmould. The window looks like it was designed during the last gasp of the original Gothic period!

The overall layout of the church is quite traditional: a west tower that is almost completely embraced by north and south aisles, chapels at the north-east and south-east corners, a narrow projecting chancel, and a south porch (now not used).

The square tower is 65 feet high, and is topped by short pinnacles and battlements. It has diagonal buttresses, a west door, and a west window of four lights. The tracery of this window - like that elsewhere in the church - is curious. It is almost intersecting, but the apex of the window has a "Y" inserted. Is it C16, C17, or when? The bell openings are in the style of the C13 - intersecting tracery. However, they must be a much later revival, possibly C17. The tower houses eight bells that were cast between 1787 and 1822. Earlier bells are known to have hung in the tower, including one in 1582 and four in 1740. The present collection include bells by John Rudhall of Gloucester. Inscriptions include "Come away make no delay" and "I to the church the living call & to the grave do summon all".

The four bay nave arcades have octagonal columns, plain capitals and double chamfered arches. They probably date from the late C15 or early C16. The tower arch is particularly tall, and allows the west window to do its work at that end of the church. On either side of the chancel are two arcades that separate it from chapels. To the north is the Memorial Chapel, and to the south, the Lady Chapel. The latter was rebuilt in 1870 in memory of Archdeacon Robert Master. He was rector of Croston and Archdeacon of Manchester. In the chapel is one of the best windows in the church dating from 1952, and dedicated to Anne Rawsthorne. It is by Harry Stammers, and shows his flat linear style with stylised figures.

The chancel has a number of memorials mounted high on the walls. A group on the north wall record the service to the clergy and the armed forces of the Masters family. Interestingly, two of the memorials have banners and swords etc. that have been painted. They look particularly fine. One is used to seeing and admiring plain white marble, but this dash of colour, very judiciously and sparingly applied is very attractive. It is hard to say the same about the painting of the memorial on the south wall to Mary Pilkington. This tablet (dedication of 1728) looks quite lurid with far too much purple, and the unfortunate juxtaposition of red, white and gold.

The window tracery of the south aisle is most curious. Like the bell openings it reminds one of the intersecting patterns of the C13. However, the window arch is too shallow, and the apex is either empty or filled with a cross. My guess is that it dates from the same century as the font, and is either a provincial relic of original Gothic, or a revival of the same. In the sanctuary is a rare double piscina, now covered with wood and used as a credence.

Late Gothic tower

The intersecting tracery of the bell-openings usually means C13, but not here!

Nave arcades

The octagonal piers and double chamfered arches are probably late C15 or C16.

North doorway

The north doorway is C16. The window above is slightly later but of the same century.

Font

The hexagonal font sits on four joined columns. It is characteristic of its time - 1663.